MikeArc-You're in the right placehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com
Welcome to my mind.Wed, 21 Feb 2018 15:13:44 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngMikeArc-You're in the right placehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com
How to Think of Changehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/how-to-think-of-change/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/how-to-think-of-change/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 14:00:02 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=198Continue reading How to Think of Change]]>“Be the Change You Wish to See in the World.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to be the change you wish to see in the world? Like most quotes, we hear it and move on without really absorbing it. I am guilty of this on many occasions because there is so much going on – family events, work, Facebook, travel, YouTube. However, taking time to internalize quotes like this can take us one step closer to a fulfilled life.

Let’s break down the quote.

Be the change. This implies that there is something in the world that requires changing, possibly a status quo that isn’t quite right. Gandhi doesn’t define it because he will end up writing a 5-page essay. He lets you define it for yourself because he’s sure that you have something that you would like to change. He empowers you by using “Be” to make it personal. He wants you to be the one that makes the change.

You Wish. By wishing, you are hoping and by hoping, you are wishing. A wish is a longing for something. Gandhi wants you to long for change because any kind of change requires time, work and perseverance. The quote, “Rome was not built in a day” is relevant here. After taking steps toward change, you may fall into the temptation of giving up and letting things continue the way they are. But Gandhi asks us to wish for change so we never surrender, never relent on difficult times.

To see in the Word. Gandhi asks us to wish for a change that is bigger than us. In doing so, we benefit not only ourselves but the people around us. In a world of 7.6 billion people, it is difficult to be a lone wolf. (I’m not sure if it’s even possible with our advanced technology and social media. Let’s not forget to mention that drones can spy on us from anywhere.) If we wish to make a change, it will inevitably affect those around us. Knowing this, work towards change that will make a positive impact in the world.

Let me know what you think of Mohatma Gandhi’s quote in the comment section below. Do you agree with my analysis?

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]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/how-to-think-of-change/feed/0BetheChangemikey20axWhy It’s Important to Break Out Of Routinehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/why-its-important-to-break-out-of-routine/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/why-its-important-to-break-out-of-routine/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 05:25:04 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=186In a world of social media where we can have everything in an instant, we overlook so many things that are right in front of us. Let’s take a look at Koreatown in Los Angeles, California. I took a picture of this artistic piece of the Bullocks Wilshire in front of the Commissary Hotel. After passing by this area so many times to get to work, only once did I stop to look and admire that art piece. When I did, I noticed there were more around the corner.

This reminds me of Paulo Coelho’s quote from The Alchemist, “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil in the spoon.” This quote was taken from a story where a young man was asked to go around the king’s palace with a spoon of oil. The king asked the young man to walk through his palace and not to spill any drop of oil. When the young man came back, the king asked if he saw the wanders in his palace. The boy said no, but all the oil was in the spoon. So, he was asked to walk the palace again, but to look at all the wanders in the palace. When the young man came back to the king after observing all the wanders and art pieces, the king asked what happened to the oil and the boy realized that he dropped them.

Many of us, especially those living in busy cities are always hustling and bustling making sure we don’t spill our drops of oil. We create a routine that makes things mundane. For myself, it was working full-time, sleeping, partying, hanging out with friends in bars, and playing video games. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Ultimately, this prevents us from looking at the beauty in life. We become stuck in our daily rituals and habits.

What can we do? Let’s take back our day and rediscover life’s beauty. Take a moment every day to try something different to get out of your normal routine. This can be something as simple as listening to a genre of song that you don’t listen to, stopping to enjoy a piece of street art, calling a friend you haven’t spoken to, or eating at a new restaurant. Keep track of your new activity by writing it down on a journal or calendar.
Try this for a week and leave a comment after your experience. Did anything change in your daily routine? Were you able to discover new things throughout your day that you haven’t noticed before?

The Alchemist is a great book filled with great content for self-development. If you’re interested, you can purchase The Alchemist through Amazon at this link – The Alchemist. It’s currently on sale here only through Amazon. You may also want to consider Audible. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

If you are interested in more motivational quotes and insights, check out the LevorInsight’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages below.

1. Stay hungry
Stay hungry by wanting more out of life. Life is about creating in the present and it has so much to give if we are willing to take advantage of it. There is so much we can do for ourselves. In the fields of art, technology, science, astronomy, engineering for example, we have unlimited potential for growth if we can shift our perspective. Be mindful of moments where you believe that this is the way things are supposed to be or because it has been done this way for several years, there is no other way to do it. Break that mindset and you will begin to have an appetite for life.

2. Stay foolish
Stay foolish by allowing yourself to make mistakes. After all, mistakes are how we learn and grow. When we can admit when we are wrong and when we are able to absorb, then deconstruct constructive criticism, only then will we be able to push past our comfort zone and personal barriers. As Steve Jobs also said, “Life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.” Why fear what others think if we were all at one point at the same starting line? Keep going and keep travelling to the destination you want to reach.

How do you stay hungry and stay foolish? Feel free to share any of your strategies in the comment section.

If you are interested in more motivational quotes and insights, check out the LevorInsight’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter pages below.

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/two-rules-to-live-by/feed/0Be hungrymikey20axThe Power of Thoughthttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/the-power-of-thought/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/the-power-of-thought/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 02:30:06 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=173Continue reading The Power of Thought]]>“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
-Henry Ford

He must have said that quote to himself despite all the criticism. He was the person “to think he can”. Thinking that you can do something is the first step to accomplishing your goals. This thought is the foundation of any high level endeavor- starting Ford Company, becoming an Olympic athlete, winning an NBA championship, becoming the CEO of your company. Think about your own achievements- graduating from High School, getting your first job, buying a home. It’s hard to imagine someone saying that they “can’t do this” and see them accomplish their goal.
This thought can also be used for your vision in life. What do you want to do with your life? What do you see yourself doing five, ten, and fifteen years from now? If you think and believe that you can do something, it will set you up to accomplish the vision that you see for yourself. This thought is the first step to overcome the challenges and struggles that you will encounter as you reach your vision.

If you are interested in more motivational quotes, insights, and updates from LevorInsights, check out the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages below.

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/the-power-of-thought/feed/0pexels-photo-208582mikey20axInsight into Aristotle’s Quotehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/insight-into-aristotles-quote/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/insight-into-aristotles-quote/#respondFri, 26 Jan 2018 05:00:33 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=161“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”-Aristotle

Aristotle was born in 384 BC. For a person who lived before the invention of the iPhone and the TV, he had a lot of insight that transcends time. This quote shows that excellence is not as elusive as one might think. One might believe that people who are great at what they do is that way because they were born with that gift and ability. While natural talent plays a role, that is not the only thing that makes a person great at what they do. The habit of excellence is what takes you over the hump of the ordinary.

The habits you develop and practice daily is what you continually build for yourself. Be honest and don’t sugarcoat your actions. If you choose to press the snooze button, you chose to delay your day. If you choose to be lazy, you chose to be average for that moment and if you keep performing average actions you in turn become average.
Does snooze sound like excellence? Is laziness a synonym of excellence? Many of us know the difference between excellence and average, but choose the latter. Why is that? Why do some of us choose to be average at a given moment in time?

Excellence is a habit. Practice excellence by putting yourself at a high standard. Don’t let others set the standards for you or you will face disappointment.

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Energy drainers are those that doubt your abilities and they see you based on what they think of you. This can come from what you’ve done in the past or their doubts about what you’re currently doing. Because of that, they don’t see what you see. They don’t see the work you put in when they are not looking and the ideas that you have when they are not listening. Energy drainers seek to put you at their level. Are you going to let that happen?

Look past the energy drainers by striving to be a better individual (employee, businessperson, dancer, lawyer) in every moment of your life. Progress in what you do without the intention to slow down and stop.

What are you doing to ignore the energy drainers? How are you making your dream a priority?

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/23/insight-into-the-quote/feed/0mikey20axInsights on The Defining Decadehttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/insights-on-the-defining-decade/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/insights-on-the-defining-decade/#respondSun, 07 Jan 2018 08:46:01 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=152Continue reading Insights on The Defining Decade]]>The Defining Decade by Dr. Meg Jay is meant for the twentysomething looking for direction in their life. Dr. Jay is a clinical psychologist, author and speaker. At a TedTalk titled “Why 30 is not the new 20”, Jay talks about our twenties being a critical period of adulthood. The Defining Decade provides insight into her TedTalk and is a wonderful resource for twentysomethings.

The Defining Decade focuses on three topics: work, love, and the brain and the body. Each topic encourages twentysomethings to take their twenties seriously. Jay asks us to avoid the “leave it until you are thirty” or “thirty is the new twenty” mentality. The Work chapters motivate twentysomethings to build their careers and talents in their twenties so it can grow into meaningful success in their thirties and forties. The Love chapters focus on having twentysomethings understand that dating and relationships should not be in the back burner if you are considering starting a family. Finally, the brain and body chapters remind twentysomethings that their twenties are a time of great physical and mental change.

Here are my three ideas you can use when reading the book:

Build relationships

Relationships create opportunities. The people you meet and get to know have something to offer. Is there a friend you would like to reach out to, but have not?

Don’t Wait

Life is too short to wait to get your idea started. Someone may already have a head start on you and ideas are constantly changing. Are you going to let it get away?

Start Now

Now is the time to make mistakes and errors so you can go back and fix them. What is it that you want to begin today?

*Disclaimer: I get commissions for purchases made through this post. Any commission earned goes to support my blog and YouTube channel. Thank you for your support.

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/insights-on-the-defining-decade/feed/0pexels-photo-775091mikey20axPresence of Mind- In the Momenthttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/presence-of-mind-in-the-moment/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/presence-of-mind-in-the-moment/#respondMon, 31 Jul 2017 13:30:00 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=99Continue reading Presence of Mind- In the Moment]]>Have you ever put yourself in autopilot because it was much easier than always thinking constantly? Are you one of those who gets stuck in their own mind just to escape reality? Presence of mind is when you are in the moment when you are doing the day to day activities, even the mundane ones. For those new to this, it can be difficult because your body and mind will be shocked. Nevertheless, it keeps you aware of your surroundings. This happened to me when I was meditating one morning commuting to work by train. I let my mind hear, feel and sense everything around me and it was scary. At one point, I felt my heart beating quickly and it was frightening. After that day, I didn’t do it again, but the thought came back to me and I wanted to share this thought. Maybe, I will try it again another time.

Many of us, including myself live life in our own minds and let things happen in life without our input. While this mindset may make it easier to let go of hard experiences, it doesn’t allow us to truly feel the moment. Whether it be joy, sorrow or anger, being in autopilot dilutes the experience. Lately, the practice of being the in the moment allowed me to express how I feel freely and honestly.

Do you agree? Do you feel that you are not in the moment and live life in autopilot?

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/presence-of-mind-in-the-moment/feed/0Commutemikey20axPesthttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/29/pest/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/29/pest/#commentsSun, 30 Jul 2017 01:36:57 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=106Pest. What is a pest? Has there been a pest in your life? What are they?

We all have our pests. They are things that bother us but never seem to go away. How does one handle a pest? They can avoid the pest, face the pest, or get rid of it. Many face the pest because it is something that has to be done. For some people, it’s the long commute to work, buying groceries for your home or washing your clothes . The common factor for all these pests (or so called pests) are that they need to be done. If you avoid them or get rid of them entirely for someone else to do, it can cause stress for yourself and those around you. Think about someone who doesn’t clean their house, brush their teeth or buy groceries. You wouldn’t want to hang around that person. Our pests help us function daily and encourages us to take responsibility for ourselves

Overcome your pests and see it as an opportunity for growth.

What is your pest? How do you overcome it?

]]>https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/29/pest/feed/2drivermikey20axLaziness and Procrastinationhttps://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/laziness-and-procrastination/
https://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/laziness-and-procrastination/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 02:00:00 +0000http://mikearcblog.wordpress.com/?p=77Continue reading Laziness and Procrastination]]>Have you felt on top of the world at one moment and then in a few weeks, you felt the slumps of life? You felt lazy and did not want to do anything. I’m not here to tell you that there is a magic pill that will get you to be productive 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Part of being human, with all our complexities is that we are constantly changing. Everything we feel and everything that we experience makes us who we are. The way to deal with the highs and lows is to go through it with an open mind and to learn from it.

There are times when I am at home and I don’t feel like washing the dishes, cooking food or cutting the grass in the backyard. I am aware of that and I take note that I am not doing what I need to do. Days pass and I see the results of my action. Dirty laundry piles up, there’s less room in the sink to wash your hands and spikey weeds grow in the lawn. There are things you have to do and you do them. Part of this realization can come from constant reminders from yourself, your peers giving you advice, a life event graduating from college or even a tragedy like a death of a family member.

When life hits, it will hit you hard and the way we deal with situations makes us who we are. We are then left with the choice to continue our path of laziness and procrastination or have a sense of urgency and take action.